Billy Knight is a longtime professional comedian who has clearly fallen on hard times.[1] His act is made up of sardonic one-liners and observations about life and various personalities in New Vegas. He is desperate for a big break, and is willing to take meager pay just to get his foot in the door of New Vegas's entertainment scene.[2][3]
Talent Pool: The player character needs to recruit a comedian. Billy is a prime choice to perform his act for the patrons of Tommy Torini's Aces Theater, located in the Tops casino.
Effects of player's actions
Billy is desperate for the work, and offers to perform for as low as 10 caps a night; however, with a 25 Barter skill, he can be convinced to persuade Torini of his true worth as an act.
In one of his jokes, he will make a crack about Benny paying his salary. Billy will make this joke even if Benny is dead or has fled the Strip while other non-player characters in the theater are talking about the mobster's recent disgrace. Billy may also make a joke about Benny paying his salary even if he is still working on the street.
Billy will continue to joke about Securitrons having policemen faces after they are upgraded to the Mark II operating system, which replaces the policemen with soldiers among other changes.
List of jokes
Note: The text in parentheses are parts of the line spoken by Billy Knight which are not in the subtitles.
"I had dinner at the Ultra-Luxe the other night. I told them my steak tasted funny. They said it was a clown. (I ate a person!)"
"How about that suit Benny wears? If I had a suit like that, the ladies would be all over me. What, you expect a punchline? This guy pays my salary! (It's true!)"
"Woof! If you're not the most sarcastic dame I ever met, your standards are so low they could use you at the Annual Gomorrah Saucy Limbo Competition. As the bar!"
In localized versions of the game, Billy's voice is dubbed by Damien Ferrette (French) and Francisco Javier Martínez (Spanish).
Billy references the play The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde, where two characters live by different identities depending if they're in the countryside or the city, in his joke "I try to be frank and earnest with women. In New Reno, I'm Frank and in the Boneyard I'm Ernest. Oh no!"
Bugs
PC After picking up Talent Pool from Tommy Torini, Billy may disappear from the game for no apparent reason. To fix this, open the console window (~ by default on US keyboards) and enter prid 0011F9BF, then enable. [verification overdue]
Gallery
Back to show biz at the Tops
Billy Knight - the "King of Zing!"
References
↑The Courier: "Who are you?" Billy Knight: "The name's Knight. Billy Knight. And this here is what a lifelong career in comedy will get you." (Billy Knight's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "So you're looking for your big break?" Billy Knight: "A break's better than a shot - less chance of lead poisoning. Hey, if you know any gigs hiring, I'll work cheap. Real cheap. I'll take peanuts!" (Billy Knight's dialogue)
↑The Courier: "Tommy Torini at the Tops is hiring entertainers. I could put in a word for you." Billy Knight: "Yeah? Hey, you're all right! Tell him I'll do it for a hundred a night! No! Fifty! No, twenty! Ten! Just don't rob me, and I'll do it!" (Billy Knight's dialogue)
After picking up Talent Pool from Tommy Torini, Billy may disappear from the game for no apparent reason. To fix this, open the console window (~ by default on US keyboards) and enter prid 0011F9BF, then enable. [verification overdue]
